Kajiado leaders decry low Grade 10 transition rate, urge gov't intervention

Kajiado Senator Seki Kanar, Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo officially open 10 class rooms at Kiserian Primary School. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Leaders in Kajiado County have raised alarm over a low Grade 10 transition rate as the reporting deadline set by the Ministry of Education lapses today.

The leaders say many learners are yet to report to their assigned schools, with parents citing far-flung placements, incorrect school allocation, and lack of school fees as the main obstacles to education continuity.

Parents have also dismissed a government directive instructing chiefs to track down learners who failed to report, terming it ineffective and punitive rather than a solution to systemic challenges.

Speaking during the commissioning of eight new classrooms constructed through the Kajiado North National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) at Kiserian Primary School, the leaders blamed the education crisis on poor accountability, delayed capitation disbursement, and a flawed learner placement system.

Kajiado Senator Seki Kanar said up to 75 per cent of learners in the County, particularly in rural areas, are yet to report to Grade 10.

He attributes the situation to the prolonged drought that has affected livestock, the main source of livelihood for pastoralist households.

Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo has asked the Ministry of Education to urgently address what he described as chaos and confusion in the learner transition and transfer system.

Ngogoyo notes that while school fees remain a challenge, many parents are stuck waiting for transfers from distant day schools, delaying admission for ready learners.

"We are calling on this government to move first and rectify the mess in the education sector, the stalemate we see is very serious," said Ngogoyo.

He further cited congestion, understaffing, and inadequate infrastructure as persistent challenges in public learning institutions.

Although Kajiado North has constructed more than 200 classrooms through NG-CDF in the last three years, Ngogoyo says the rapidly growing student population continues to overwhelm available facilities.

Kiserian Primary School alone currently has a population of 3,052 learners.

The leaders warn that continued missteps in the education sector have turned the transition to Grade 10 into a risky gamble for learners, particularly those from vulnerable communities and families.

They have urged the Ministry of Education to intervene by allowing schools to admit qualified learners in schools of choice immediately, instead of waiting for centralized system approvals.